Collagen supplements are big business. If you’ve been paying attention to the buzz around collagen, you already know that collagen is the protein responsible for holding your skin together and maintaining its elasticity and firmness — which is no small job. There are five types of collagen, and each is responsible for something different such as skin health, hair health, ligaments, bones, cartilage, and more. As we age, we lose more collagen, so finding ways to retain the collagen we have and boost collagen production becomes increasingly important.
Dr. Eric Berg took to his Instagram to describe, in details, a few changes that you can expect after taking collagen supplements for just two weeks. Check the reviews for various collagen powders and pills before deciding on one, and then get ready to experience benefits you weren’t expecting.
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1. Skin Improvements
One major reason why many decide to take a collagen supplement in the first place is to improve the quality of their skin. Collagen supplements can help increase hydration in your skin for a smoother complexion. They can also promote faster healing if your skin becomes irritated or experiences a breakout, and can boost your body’s own collagen production to create healthier, plumper skin.
2. Stronger Tendons and Ligaments
A collagen supplements gives your body important amino acids like glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline that help rebuild and strengthen connective tissues. There is some research showing collagen (and especially when taken alongside vitamin C) can improve tendon strength and reduce injury risk after exercise. In other words: those aches and pains you feel after strength training and cardio can actually be reduced, which can encourage you to keep up with your workouts more frequently.
3. Stronger Nails
The same amino acids that improve your muscles and tendons also help improve nail growth and can reduce breakage and brittleness, which are common problems many of us experience. Collagen may help your nails become stronger, shinier, and longer is less time.
Even though Dr. Berg says some improvements may be noticeable after just two weeks of taking a collagen supplement, miracle results aren’t expected to happen overnight (it can take as long as eight to 12 weeks to see a difference after you start taking a supplement). Combining a hydrolyzed collagen supplement with vitamin C (either in food or supplement form) is highly recommended. And if you would rather obtain collagen from food sources, some foods that naturally contain collagen include bone broth, chicken skin and cartilage, fish skin, and gelatin.
